• Iowa 4-H Program
• Iowa 4-H History By County

Iowa 4-H is one part of the nation’s largest youth development organization. The Iowa 4-H Program follows the principles of experiential learning and draws on the knowledge base of Iowa State University and other land-grant universities across the nation.

The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, a longitudinal study conducted by the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University, shows youth engaged with 4-H are:

• More likely to spend more time exercising 
  or being physically active
• Two times less likely to engage in drug use
• Two times less likely to use cigarettes or drink alcohol
• Nearly two times more likely to get better grades in school
• Nearly two times more likely to plan to go to college
• 41% less likely to engage in risky behaviors
• 25% more likely to positively contribute to their families and communities.

See the results from the first five years of the study in the Waves of the Future report. Read the 2011 Tufts Study results.

4-H fosters an innovative, “learn by doing” approach with proven results. The Iowa 4-H Program’s vision and mission statements clearly view youth as partners working with staff and volunteers, and as full participants in planning and working for individual and community change.

Learn more about the Iowa 4-H Program and find out how you can get involved.